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Alycastre, Rosé, Côtes de Provence

Provence, France 2016 (750mL)
$22.00
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Alycastre, Rosé, Côtes de Provence

This wine isn’t just a ‘wine of place,’ it’s a wine of a place I really, really want to go to. Of course, there are myriad wine places I want to visit—wine places tend to be special as a general rule—but this one is off the charts: Just off the southeast coast of France, not far from Saint-Tropez, is the little island of Porquerolles, one of the three “Îles d'Hyères” and the home of this scrumptious rosé.
It’s only about five square miles, with a population in the hundreds, and it is thought to be one of the birthplaces of Côtes de Provence wine. Fresh off the boat from France and ready to drink tonight, this fresh and fragrant 2016 from Domaine de la Courtade has everything you could possibly ask for in a Provençal rosé. Well, almost everything: Ideally, you’d drink this “Alycastre” in the restaurant on Porquerolles that shares its name, alongside seafood just plucked from the Mediterranean. In the absence of that, have plenty of it around for the beach, pool, or patio, wherever that may be.
In addition to being delicious, and affordable, this wine is loaded with backstory. The entire island of Porquerolles was purchased outright in 1912 by a Belgian named François Joseph Fournier, who planted vineyards and produced some of the first wine with the Côtes de Provence designation (the island is mostly given over to national park these days). “Alycastre” is also the name of a fortress on the island, which itself is named for a mythical dragon, Lycastro, from local lore and poetry.
 
This wine comes from Domaine de la Courtade, a long-established estate not far from the island’s main port (and the beach that lends it its name). The 2016 is based on Grenache sourced from organically farmed vineyards; all of the grapes are destemmed, and the must is pressed in two batches, one of which consists only of “free run” juice (the juice that flows from the grapes before the press is activated). Free-run juice is prized for being fruitier and less tannic than that which has been pressed, and this is reflected in the wine: there’s terrific fruit clarity and amazing freshness here.

In the glass, the 2016 “Alycastre” is a classic salmon-pink, with aromas of fresh strawberry, citrus peel, melon, rose petals, dried lavender, and a hint of warm spice. On the palate the wine is juicy and refreshing, with the plushness you’d expect from Grenache but not the excess weight or (perceived) sweetness. Serve this nicely chilled, around 40 degrees, with just about anything, but in the spirit of its Mediterranean origins, try it with a classic Provençal fish stew. If you can’t make it to Porquerolles, this is a heck of a way to fake it! Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Provence
Sub-Region
FranceÎle de Porquerolles
Soil
Schist & Clay
Farming
Organic
Blend
Grenache
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
None
TEMP.
40
Glassware
All-Purpose White
Drinking
Now
Pairing
Provençal Fish Stew

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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